Linguistics

Your linguistics degree sets you up for careers ranging from teaching and marketing to research and data science

Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree include:

• English as a foreign language teacher
• Digital copywriter
• Lexicographer
• Marketing executive
• Public relations officer
• Publishing copy-editor/proofreader
• Secondary school teacher
• Speech and language therapist
• Teaching assistant

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

• Academic researcher
• Advertising copywriter
• Civil Service fast streamer
• Data scientist
• Editorial assistant
• Information officer
• Magazine journalist
• Social researcher
• Translator
• Writer

Remember that many employers accept applications from graduates with any degree subject, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

Work experience

Look for work experience opportunities with organisations and businesses that you're interested in or that will help you develop the skills relevant to your career interests.

If you want to work as a speech and language therapist or a teacher, it's important to gain experience with people with different levels of communication. For example, the elderly, young children, disabled people or people with limited English language proficiency. 

If you're interested in working with words, you could contribute to a student newspaper, edit a university journal or create content for social media. This will help you develop skills in writing and editing, working to brand guidelines and analysing audience engagement.

To gain experience in academic research or data analysis, look for opportunities advertised by your university or consider applying speculatively to shadow or support members of your faculty.

Some universities provide opportunities to complete a work placement or internship during your course, either in person or online.  You may also be able to learn an additional language as part of your degree or through extra-curricular activities - essential if you want to work as a translator.

Search for placements and find out more about work experience and internships.

Typical employers

A degree in linguistics is useful for careers in:

• government
• marketing and communications
• public relations and media
• publishing - including proofreading, editing or working for a dictionary compiler
• research
• speech and language therapy
• teaching - including teaching English as a foreign or second language.

There are also opportunities in computer programming and information technology, specifically within areas such as voice recognition and language software development.

Typical employers include:

• media organisations
• publishing companies
• marketing, advertising and PR companies
• primary and secondary schools
• language schools both in the UK and abroad
• Civil Service, especially on the Fast Stream
• law and accountancy firms
• IT and telecommunications firms
• the NHS and private hospitals.

Find information on employers in marketing, advertising and PR, media and internet, teacher training and education and other job sectors.

Skills for your CV

Studying linguistics teaches you about the science, function and evolution of language. You develop skills in analysing how language is formed and used, by studying and critiquing theories and ideas, and presenting linguistic data in various formats.

You also develop other important skills, including:

• research skills, including knowledge of research methodology and quantitative methods
• a range of analysis and statistical analysis techniques
• the ability to accurately collect, interpret and manage data
• written and verbal communication skills
• IT skills
• critical thinking and problem solving
• the ability to work well in a team and independently
• project management skills
• self-management
• time management and organisation skills.

Further study

You may decide to go on to study at Masters level to specialise in an area of linguistics of particular interest to you, such as:

• applied linguistics
• forensic linguistics
• language sciences
• speech and language therapy
• translation and interpretation

or a related area such as:

• English language
• philosophy of language
• creative writing
• philosophy.

Various postgraduate courses are available that can lead to specific careers, such as speech and language therapy or teaching. You could also pursue a qualification in teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL).

Although it's not essential to do a postgraduate qualification for careers in areas such as marketing, PR, journalism, IT and social research, further vocational study may enhance your chances of employment, particularly when combined with relevant work experience.

For more information on further study and to find a course that interests you, see Masters degrees and search postgraduate courses in linguistics.

What do linguistics graduates do?

The top ten jobs held by linguistics graduates include advertising and marketing associate professionals (7%), secondary education teaching professionals (6%), admin (4%), PR professionals (3%), educational support assistants (3%), HR officers (3%), authors, writers and translators (3%) and teaching assistants (2%).

Find out what other graduates are doing after finishing their degrees in What do graduates do?

Graduate Outcomes survey data from HESA.